Blue Jays' GM enjoys whirlwind week

From the outside, one might have imagined a flinty-eyed Alex Anthopoulos mapping out his master strokes, then setting out with steely resolve to land a batch of big fish - Troy Tulowitzki, David Price, LaTroy Hawkins, Ben Revere and Mark Lowe - all in the space of four days that left the Blue Jays fan base gasping.

From the outside, one might have imagined a flinty-eyed Alex Anthopoulos mapping out his master strokes, then setting out with steely resolve to land a batch of big fish – Troy Tulowitzki, David Price, LaTroy Hawkins, Ben Revere and Mark Lowe – all in the space of four days that left the Blue Jays fan base gasping.

Indeed, the general manager did land two superstars and three other quality players, turning over one-fifth of his roster and unloading 11 pitching prospects in the process. He finished the week by acquiring Revere from the Phillies to play left field and Lowe from the Mariners to bolster a vastly improved bullpen.

But behind the scenes, the GM and a coterie of aides dealt with constantly moving targets, trade scenarios that emerged and faded, sometimes for good, sometimes to rise again. No one knew for sure what would happen from one hour to the next, or whether a deal would get done.

“Deals get done all the time, and I know it seems like there was a flurry of them and they’re so easy to make, but it’s amazing how many things end up falling apart because there’s another piece that needs to be added or someone has an issue with their health,” Anthopoulos said after the biggest set of deadline deals in franchise history.

It is not just the number of acquisitions that is impressive. It is the quality of the haul. If Anthopoulos had a checklist, he would have ticked off nearly every box.

“But,” he said, “there were a lot of times I was not optimistic. The prices were just too high for us. And then all of a sudden things came together. But we didn’t come in here saying, ‘Let’s go do five things, six things.’ Sure, you want to, but I had no idea how the week was going to play out.

“And I didn’t go to bed (Thursday) night thinking, OK, we were going to add Ben Revere and Mark Lowe (Friday). It was just, those guys are available, they’re probably getting moved. Are we actually going to get a shot at them? I have no idea. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

It brought Revere, a lefthanded contact hitter who batted .298 with a .334 onbase percentage and 24 stolen bases for the Phillies this year. He is arbitrationeligible after this season but under club control through 2017.

“I think he was the best fit for us and our team,” Anthopoulos said, citing the need for speed and a left-handed bat in the Jays’ power-laden, right-handed lineup.

Manager John Gibbons said he expects to bat Revere, 27, at the bottom of the lineup and platoon him in left field. Gibbons declined to identify Revere’s platoon partner.

Lowe, 32, is a hard-throwing reliever who posted a 1.00 ERA in 34 games for the Mariners. He is eligible for free agency after the season.

Gibbons said Lowe could work in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings.

The manager now has a plethora of such relievers and the luxury of having a couple of fresh late-inning arms virtually every night.

Both new players are expected to join the club on Saturday. Their arrival will necessitate corresponding roster moves.

Price was scheduled to meet the Toronto media Friday afternoon, but his arrival was delayed when he had a flat tire on the drive from Detroit.

Meanwhile, team staff had prepared his locker as he requested in a tweet after the trade. It was stocked with a clear garbage bag full of popcorn, and more in several smaller, overflowing containers.

Earlier in the day, the Jays placed second baseman Devon Travis on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder strain. Price will take his roster spot.

Anthopoulos described his week as a “whirlwind.” Because he was cooped up with his staff for the past five days, he was not tuned in to the buzz his deals have inspired among Blue Jays fans.

“I’m excited to see, now that we’re done with the trade deadline, how excited the fans are,” he said. “I hope they are. I hope our attendance really spikes. And I hope we start winning games, and everyone across Canada gets really excited.”

He said the Jays were deliberately careful with their financial and prospect pools in the off-season because they wanted to be able to do everything possible to improve the team if it was in contention in July.

And even with all the prospects that have been traded, “we continue to replenish,” he said, crediting his scouting and development staff. Someone suggested that the Blue Jays have long been perceived as a club resigned to concede superiority to the Yankees and Red Sox. Anthopoulos said that has never been true, that he and his staff aim to win every year.

“I can’t speak to the perception,” he said.

“Obviously, that’s not what you want as an organization. If this week changes that perception across the industry, great. That wasn’t the intent. The intent is to win and to get to the playoffs.”

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